D.C.'s used car lot crackdown picks up
By: Michael Neibauer
Examiner Staff Writer
June 30, 2009
The District government has revoked the licenses of 33 used car lots/auto repair shops and ordered and additional 54 to shape up or risk a similar fate, Mayor Adrian Fenty announced.
Fenty and several top aides gathered outside L.J. Automotive on Blair Road to announce progress in the six-month enforcement sweep of what the city deems "dangerous and unsightly" lots that pockmark the city and are the subject of frequent neighborhood complaints.
In addition to the shut-down dealers and those given time to fix their failings, an additional 39 trimmed their outdoor inventories to fewer than five vehicles, which will allow them to continue operating without taking out a $100,000 bond.
"Over the past six months we have filtered out those businesses that want to be good neighbors and those that did not wish to operate legitimate businesses," Fenty said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor our neighborhoods and economic corridors to ensure these illegal businesses open shop in the District again."
The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs began enforcement of the new lot rules May 4, focusing first on education and outreach. The second and third stages, which are ongoing, target off-premise repair and motor vehicle storage. And the fourth stage, slated to launch Sept. 1, is all-out enforcement.
Under the rules, each used car lot must have an office in a permanent building of at least 250 square feet. There are new requirements for paving of parking areas, landscaping and fencing. Seventy percent of the vehicles stored on an outdoor lot must be offered for sale. And sellers and dealers must obtain new licenses.
When the crackdown began, there were 179 licensed auto repair shops/used car lots in D.C. A handful of lots, including L.J. Automotive in Northwest, were granted extensions to come into compliance with the new rules, but 33 were deemed unable to meet the regulations and shut down.
Ward 8 D.C. Councilman Marion Barry held a news conference last month with dozens of used car lot owners who complained that the new rules would drive them out of business. But Barry's attempt to ease the regulations, which he deemed "stringent and draconian," was rejected by his colleagues.
